Wheel-tire.



L. DUVAL.

WHEEL TIRE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.Z7, 1913.

Patented Sept. 8, 1914.

Winasaea:

LO IS D'UVAL, 0F NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS;

VJHEEL-TIRE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 8, 1914.

Application filed August 27, 1913. Serial No. 786,842.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, LOUIS DUVAL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newtom-in the county of Middlesex, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in lVheel-Tires, of which the following is a specification. This invention relates to wheel-tires, and has for its object the construction of a tire comprehending springs attached to the rim and inclosed by a casing, which springs admit of a yielding motion in a vertical direction upon compression and also of a yielding motion in alateral direction whenever occasion may require, as for instance, when turning sharp corners at a high speed.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a wheel-tire embodying this invention, a portion of the casing being cut away. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of a portion of the tire. Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse vertical section taken on lines 3-3, Fig. 1.

The body portion of the wheel may be of any well-known or suitable construction, and has a rim 10, which is here shown as having its opposite sides arranged convergently from its outer to its inner face.

A plurality of loop-springs 12 reinforced by spring leaves 12 are arranged about therim, the ends of which are attached to the opposite sides of the rim, and said springs are disposed radially with respect to the wheel or approximately so. A metallic section 14- is passed around the wheel telly and secured thereto by bolts. This section secures all coiiperating parts in relatively fixed relation to the telly, as it overlies and bears upon a portion of the shoe 30, to be later described. Plates 12 are arranged. between the shoe 30 and the block 10, said plates overlying the springs 12. The outer end-portions of said loop-springs are connected together by a circular resilient band 15,- to which theyare attached by rivets or other means so that they are held in fixed relative positions. Said band is here shown as arranged on the outside of'said springs. Said loop-springs admit of a yielding movement in a vertical direction and also in a lateral direction, but by themselves are not 'sufiiciently strong and stable to, support the weight, and hence they are re-inforced by a plurality of leaf-springs 20, which are arranged within them and which are attached at their outer ends to the outer ends of the loop-springs and. to the resilient band, preferably by the same rivets which are employed to attach the loop-springs to said band, and which are pivotally connected at their inner ends to supports arranged on the rim. The leaf-springs may be composed each of a plurality of leaves of different lengths. The pivotal supports for the leafsprings may consist of bolts or short bars 25, supported by brackets 26, rigidly secured to the rim, and said bolts or bars are disposed in alinement with the rim and the inner ends of the leaf-springs are loosely arranged on said bolts or bars, and are adapted to swing thereon from side to side, thus admitting of a lateral movement of the leaf-springs in both directions, yet permitting a yielding movement in a vertical direction. The rim and springs supported thereon, or at least the springs, are inclosed by a tire-casing 30, composed of an inner-portion of felt or other material and an outer portion of rawhide, leather or other material, which casing itself may be of any well-known or suitable construction, the inner-portion being made thick enough to prevent the edges of the springs from cutting through it.

I claim The wheel-tire herein described consisting of a plurality of loop-springs attached at their inner ends to the rim and disposed substantially radially with respect to the wheel, a circular band to which the outer ends of said springs are attached and by which they are held in fixed relative positions with re spect to each other, a plurality of leafsprings arranged wfhin and secured to the loop-springs, and means for movably sup porting the inner ends of said leaf springs, said means including brackets secured to the wheel rim, pins supported in said brackets and projected at right angles to the axis of the wheel, the leaf springs having openings of greater length than the diameter of the pins, the thickness of the springs at their point of connection to the pins being less than the free length'of said pins.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing. witnesses. LOUIS DUVAL.

Witnesses:

' B.' J. NOYES, H. B. DAVIS. 

